My Son is a Werewolf
by Ceralyn
Summary: Hermione Granger was attacked by Fenrir Greyback during the war and became pregnant.  At birth, her son was diagnosed with Lycanthropy.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

There was something different about Forks. There was a feeling of magic in the air – not the type that was prevalent at Hogwarts. It was more subtle, yet untamed and free. The moment she stepped foot in Forks, she knew that this would be a nice place to live. She would miss it when it came time to leave, but if she was lucky, that would not be until some years later.

She looked up from her book, admiring the house. It was wonderfully large, spacious and, more importantly, secluded. The nearby woods offered plenty of running space for her and Hugo. The past few days had been perfect. No full moon for another three weeks.

"Mummy!" she heard Hugo shout as he stepped onto the front balcony. "You said we could go to the beach today. At 10:30 – that's what you said. It's 10:20 now, and I'm ready. See!" He paraded in front of her in his bright red swimming trunks sans shirt. "Are you going to get dressed or what?" Hermione had to smile at the look he gave her, obviously admonishing her for running late.

She pulled out her wand and transfigured her pajamas into a navy one-piece swim suit. "I was just waiting for you, Hugo. Are you finally ready to go?" He looked annoyed, as she knew he would.

"I'll get the keys," he said. She grabbed a pair of shorts and a shirt, not wanting to drive down to La Push in just her swim suit, as well as her beaded bag. She hardly went anywhere without it since the war.

With Forks beings so small, the drive was mercifully short and Hugo finally stopped bouncing around to get all his swimming gear together. She grabbed her book and went to help Hugo carry his stuff. "No way, Mum. You're not going to read on the beach. Aren't you going to swim and play with me?" He presented his most dangerous face: a combination of sadness and hopefulness. It was deceptively sweet, as even at 4 years old he'd quickly learned his power over her and used it to his advantage.

She sighed and put the book back in the car. "That's not fair, you know," she grumbled. Hugo just giggled and walked a little straighter. He really enjoyed bossing people around and anytime he could change his mother's decision was a small victory.

"Will you teach me how to swim today? I'm almost 5, and big boys are supposed to swim."

She nodded her head. "As long you follow instructions and don't go where it's too deep, I'll teach you how to swim. Otherwise, you'll have to wear your floaties."

"Okay – last one there is a flobberworm!" He raced down to the beach. She wished he'd learn to be more careful, but he was too young to really understand. As a werewolf, he had unnaturally fast speed for a small boy, and someone could notice. Fortunately, the beach was almost abandoned today. There were just a few people at the other end, too far away to notice anything with their human eyesight. "I'm winning!"

At that, she put on a small burst of speed and caught up to him very quickly. "It's a tie," she told him, noticing his pout. He took every competition very seriously.

The morning passed very quickly. Hugo had been in a cheerful mood all day, running and splashing about. He had surprised her with how quickly he picked up swimming. He abandoned his floaties as soon as she let him and began swimming back and forth in the shallow area where he could stand.

"Mum, look at this! Isn't it pretty? This one's for you," He brought her a large seashell with various shades of pink and red.

"It's very nice, sweetie. Thank you." She kissed him on the cheek, and he just grinned.

"I'm going to get some more. There's lots over there," he said, pointing further away.

"That's fine. Just stay in sight." He nodded and ran off.

Hermione closed her eyes, thinking of all the things she still had to do. Her parents would need assistance packing if they were going to get here by next week. That wouldn't take too long but getting into Britain undetected would be a bit dangerous. She also needed to get Hugo used to the woods near the house; he needed to have that area memorized. She had limited potions ingredients and had yet to find a discrete seller in the Seattle magical shopping area.

Hugo was the priority, though. She couldn't help worrying about what would happen in three weeks' time. She really hoped she could find a solution. It seemed to get worse every time.

Hearing Hugo's gasp, she quickly turned her face ready to run to him at any moment.

"MUMMY! MUMMY! Run, it's a monster!"

Her reflexes finally alert, she almost admonished herself for having relaxed so much, and tried to jump out of the way. Too late though, a huge wolf-like creature pounced on her. He bit her arm savagely, nearly ripping it off. She kicked him off just for another monster to attack her as well. She pulled out her wand and quickly stunned both creatures. She could tell one was already stirring, but Hugo's whimpering had her more worried. She could see another one of those large wolves running directly to him.

She quickly apparated to him and tossed him her beaded bag. "Get the shield, baby. You know what to do." She apparated directly in front of the beast, pulled her arm back and punched as hard as she could. She obviously caught it by surprise. She apparated again, behind it this time, grabbed one of his legs and bent it roughly until she heard the bone snap. But that wasn't enough – he'd scared Hugo. She grabbed it by the ears and brought his head firmly down to her knee so that his jaw made a loud crack. However, this only seemed to enrage him more as he clamped his jaws on her shoulder. Just before he could tear it off she shouted "_sectumsempra!"_ It dropped to the ground, blood pouring out of its shoulder and wailing in agony.

"_Petrificus totalus!" _And the beast stilled. She quickly turned to her right shooting off the same spell again seeing a large black wolf – nearly as big as a horse – running at an incredible speed towards her, growling ferociously.

"Mummy, are you okay?" asked Hugo.

The black beast growled even more angrily, but she ignored it and concentrated on her son. Poor Hugo had never seen his mother fight before, especially like that, and Hermione knew he was very scared. Unfortunately, it wasn't over as she could hear more of those growling, angry beasts; they would be here soon.

"I'm okay, sweetie. Just keep the shield up. I can hear more coming." It sounded like four or five more were on their way. She conjured ropes around the nearest wolves, tying them together _very _tightly and spelled the ropes to be unbreakable. She didn't know how much their thick hide protected them from magic and wasn't taking any chances if the body-bind spell wore off. Fortunately the other wolf was still unconscious.

"Hugo, look in my bag and pull out the blue dragon. If I tell you to say '_Portus,' _I need you to do it right away – without question, understand?"

"Yes, Mum. And then I wait for you safely at home until you get there," he repeated automatically, obviously not wanting to leave her alone with the scary monsters.

"That's right. Be sure to keep holding the shield, so –"

They were here. Four beasts were running their way. She was pretty sure that no normal werewolves could run this fast. These beasts were nearly as fast as unicorns. She really wasn't sure what to think of them, but now wasn't the time for curiosity.

She held her wand up and stunned the nearest wolf. The second one was obviously angered and put on a burst of speed. Just as she was about to stun that one as well – something unexpected happened. A tan wolf jumped in front of it, growling angrily.

There seemed to be some sort of disagreement because all the other wolves started growling again. Another one made its way towards her, but again the tan wolf jumped in the way. He was protecting her, she realized, though she couldn't understand why. Maybe it was the only reasonable one out of the whole lot. It's not like _she _started the fight, after all!

But she was done playing nice. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now. "I know you can hear me and understand me," she said which caused the wolves to still for a moment. They were still much too close for her liking, though. "I want all of you transform back right now." She waited a moment. No one did.

She'd give them a little motivation.

"Your friend over here," she indicated the one who'd scared Hugo, "is bleeding profusely. He has approximately 10 more minutes at this rate of blood loss. Then he'll die. If you want him to live, you'll behave. That means transforming right now. I want to see the faces of those that attacked me and my son." Her voice was cold and emotionless.

The one who defended her immediately transformed. He was naked.

"Where are your clothes?" she asked, too surprised to maintain her emotionless demeanor.

"They rip. I have some shorts down that way if you want me to get them," he said softly. His manner was shy and confused, and she thought she detected an urge to please her. It was strange.

Noticing she had been silently staring at his naked form, she responded, "These will do for now." She conjured up a pair of sweat pants, hoping they'd fit his large frame.

She proceeded to conjure up large pants for the rest of the wolves. Still, no one else transformed. Furious, she growled out, "If you don't transform and get dressed in less than a minute, your friends are going to learn at what temperature wolves burn." Her wand ignited and the flame seemed to finally persuade them. They began transforming one right after the other.

"Mum, there's a naked lady!" shouted Hugo, shocked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The only girl in the group was hurriedly putting the pants on, obviously both angry and embarrassed. She didn't have a shirt.

"Hugo, close your eyes!"

Conjuring a t-shirt as well, Hermione tossed it to the wolf-girl who slipped it on immediately. She looked around to the rest of the wolf-tribe, as she was starting to think of them now. They were certainly Native Americans, likely of the local Quileute tribe. She noted that they were all tall and in rather excellent physical shape. She concluded that the two under her body-bind spells would likely appear the same way – it was just as well she had thought to bind them in ropes just in case. Should the spells weaken against the wolves, she would notice immediately. She suspected that the biggest wolf was the leader. Perhaps they would be easier to interrogate without him?

"Now, I think it's time I received some answers."

ooOOoo

Embry wasn't sure what to think. He had finally imprinted! But she was a vampire! A _vampire_!

"Can I open my eyes now?" the boy named Hugo asked, but Embry noticed he was already peaking around his hands.

She pretended not to notice, "Yes."

He curiously noted that there was a light blue dome surrounding the kid, like a sort of shield. Things were certainly weird. The boy kept referring to the vampire as his mother. He definitely wasn't half-vampire, so his best guess was that he was adopted or the mother had been changed after his birth. Again, weird. It was such a strange day, but he could hardly concentrate on anything but the boy's mother.

Who he imprinted on.

And who happened to be a vampire.

She was a beautiful vampire, he had to admit. In his wolf form, he had heard the call from Sam to transform. He had been furious at the thought that another bloodsucker had arrived in the area. As he ran nearer, the scent seemed just a bit…off. It was sweet, but not the usual overpowering sickly sweet scent that accompanied all vampires. It was actually subtle, for a vampire. He'd realized that he _liked the smell_ and had felt horrified. Fortunately no one had noticed, so he'd continued to run furiously along with the others.

Then he saw her.

And she was beautiful. She was everything.

He'd felt almost dizzy at the overwhelming sensation. Everything was the same – yet everything was different. She was now his first priority. Nothing and no one was more important.

And then the reality had come crashing down. The others were attacking her; he had to stop them! The instant this thought passed through his mind, he'd heard their angry thoughts and growls. It didn't matter though; he'd immediately moved to protect her and reminded everyone of the pack code. He had imprinted; no pack member could attack his mate.

They had phased now, so he could no longer hear what they were thinking. But he could imagine it. Still, he'd worry about them later. She was his mate for a reason, and he didn't want to make an even worse impression. And no one was being cooperative.

Feeling nervous but desperate to make a good impression, Embry cleared his throat to speak and could feel everyone paying close attention. Things were about to get interesting.

"I'm sorry you were attacked," he began, "but our duty is to protect the people from vampires. When we caught your scent, you were assumed to be a threat. No one meant to attack your son; I think Paul thought he was protecting him. We won't attack you anymore; we only defend against vampires who prey on humans."

She seemed to consider this, but only looked marginally appeased. "I wasn't hurting anyone. I was just enjoying a day at the beach with my son. Then, out of nowhere two large beasts attack me, another scaring Hugo half to death. That doesn't sound like a defensive tactic."

She was obviously waiting for an explanation, and put like that, Embry didn't know how he would reply. He'd always believed it to be perfectly reasonable to attack first and ask questions later when it came to vampires. It was the way the pack operated. After all, the best defense was a good offense, but he was smart enough to know that would only offend her. He looked towards Sam for guidance; he wasn't used to being the spokesperson.

He was startled to see that Sam had not phased back. He was still in wolf form and was unnaturally still. Those ropes should not be able to contain any of the wolves, much less Sam who was the most powerful. His gaze next fell on Paul who was losing blood very quickly. He'd never seen anything that could work against their healing abilities that way.

He was sure the others were not quite as distracted as he was; they had definitely noticed one of their pack members was significantly injured. They were never kind towards vampires, and imprint or not, he doubted any of them were feeling remotely cooperative.

Fortunately, before Leah or anyone else could say something stupid, Embry spoke again. "We've only known one family of vampires that do not drink from humans. We have a long-standing treaty with them that as long as they don't cross our border or bite any humans, we don't attack them. When a vampire scent was detected on this side of the border, we knew immediately it was not any of the Cullens and responded as we do with all other vampires. I can only apologize for the misunderstanding and for scaring your son –"

"_You _did not do that. It was this one. If this _Paul_ can humbly apologize to my son, and if Hugo accepts his apology, then I will heal him." She turned to Paul and waved the stick in her hand. Embry was surprised to see the ropes disappear and both Paul and Sam were finally able to move. "Otherwise, you'll die," she directed this last assurance to Paul.

Sam phased right away, unabashed in his nudity. Paul seemed more reluctant, but after a rebellious growl, he too phased. He was still lying on the ground, though, and his wound looked even worse than before. It was deep, and blood was flowing freely.

The vampire – he really needed to ask her name – seemed unconcerned with their nudity and just waved the wooden stick, providing them with pants. She looked at Paul expectantly, and he in turn looked towards the little boy.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he growled, but that obviously just scared the boy more. The mother noticed and pointed her wand at Paul, threateningly. Sam looked like he wanted to phase back and attack, but was fortunately too smart to think that would help matters.

"But you did. That's not an apology," the vampire said, her voice cold again.

Paul remained stubbornly silent. Embry knew it wasn't about the apology so much as obeying anything a vampire says – it was a point of pride. He was about to say something, but Sam beat him to it. "Do it, Paul. The wound's not healing." He spoke quietly, but Embry knew everyone heard.

"I apologize for scaring you. It won't happen again," Paul finally said, more sincerely this time. He looked towards the boy, determinedly ignoring the vampire.

"Well I will forgive you if," and here he looked towards Sam, "the big one says sorry for hurting Mummy." Embry turned his face to hide a grin; the kid was a riot! It was too bad Jacob wasn't here; he would have had a good laugh.

"I'm sorry for hurting your mother," replied Sam, sighing wearily.

"Okay then, I forgive you both. But remember, when you say sorry that means you know what you did was wrong and won't do it again."

The vampire knelt down by Paul and began waving the wooden stick over him, humming a sort of song. A bright light descended on the large gash covering Paul's upper torso and the skin immediately began closing. She looked towards her son again. "Hugo, sweetie, bring me my beaded bag." The boy obediently returned with a tiny bag, and Embry wondered what could possibly be in there.

"When someone has lost a lot of blood, what do they need to get better?" she quizzed the boy. Embry looked around and saw all the others watching equally fascinated.

"Blood Replensher," he said, looking through the bag and bringing out all sorts of large objects and bottles. How could it all possibly fit in the bag?

"Blood Replenisher," she corrected. When he found the bottle he was looking for, he gave it to the vampire lady who proceeded to pour it down Paul's throat. "Swallow all of it. You've lost too much blood." Her voice was commanding and brooked no argument.

ooOOoo

Hermione was excessively annoyed. She had no idea Forks had shape-shifters and vampires. The wolf-tribe was bad enough – they had apparently been _hunting _her. But the vampires could be a problem. Unfortunately, as much as she was not looking forward to having to meet them, she would have to determine if they were going to be a threat to Hugo or not. Vampires had an instinctual hatred for werewolves.

Because she had already dealt with so much prejudice before, it was easy for her to ignore those instincts. And considering her son was a werewolf, she really had no problem dealing with it. Considering she had healed one of the shape-shifters, they were in her debt. And she needed information on these other vampires.

"Tell me about these other vampires." It was not a request.

She looked towards the only one who had volunteered any information, but it wasn't him who responded. Instead, the leader spoke, "We don't have to tell you anything. Why are you in Forks?" Anyone else would have felt intimidated, but she was almost amused.

She smiled at him, enjoying how easy it was to infuriate him. "Why are you in Forks?"

"We live here," responded the youngest looking one. "So why are you here? Vacation? Is that really your son? I didn't think vampires could have children." She wondered how old he was; he sounded even younger than he looked.

"I live here too now. And as far as I know, vampires cannot have children. But I was turned just seven months ago."

"Really? I thought newborns couldn't control themselves?"

"That's usually true, but I've always been a bit of an overachiever."

"So how do you do all that stuff with the stick? It's like magic." He sounded amazed, and Hermione briefly remembered how amazing it all seemed when it was new to her. She noticed that the others all seemed even more intent on the conversation than before. That indicated they knew nothing about magic. Curious.

"It _is_ magic. So want to tell me about these other vampires?"

"Seth –"

"It's not like she can't find out on her own. Look at her eyes; they'll probably welcome her into the family. Plus, Embry imprinted on her," Seth replied to the leader. He faced Hermione again. "There are seven of them. They've been living here a couple years now; we have a treaty that we do not attack them since they only drink animal blood. Obviously if they bite any humans, that would break the treaty. They live like a family – go to school and everything. The oldest one is like the father of the family; he's a doctor."

"That's enough Seth," the leader commanded.

A doctor? She couldn't help being impressed. Hopefully, their determination to live amongst humans meant that they could still relate and would be no threat to Hugo or her parents.

"What's your name?" She turned to face the owner of the voice. It was the polite one. He didn't ask to interrogate her; he was genuinely interested in knowing her name. Again, he seemed to want her attention; he wanted to please her.

It was kind of creepy.

"Hermione Granger," she answered reluctantly. "What's yours?"

"Embry Call." He seemed eager to continue the conversation, but the leader was not going to allow them to share any more information. She wasn't interested in small talk.

"Let's go, Hugo."

ooOOoo

"Embry's imprinted, but this is not a normal situation," Sam explained after Hermione and Hugo left. "She is a vampire. We will not attack her unprovoked, but she is more dangerous than any other vampire we have known. We outnumbered her; it shouldn't have even been a challenge."

"So what do we do?" Jared asked.

"We will need to have a pack meeting tonight and then meet with the elders tomorrow. For now, we need to gather some information…"

Sam finally finished speaking, and the moment Embry dreaded arrived.

This was when everyone was supposed to leave. But no one moved – not even Sam. Everyone was looking at Embry. He stood around awkwardly, not quite sure what to think or say. Apparently, though, not everyone had the same problem.

"How could you imprint on a leech?" spat Paul, his voice filled with disgust. Though none of the others said anything, it was clear they were thinking the same thing.

"Don't call her that!" shouted Embry, "Her name's Hermione. And she hasn't done anything wrong."

"It's not his fault; he can't help who he imprints on. Besides, Hermione seems nice," replied Seth reasonably. "I bet Jake would agree too if he was here instead of…well wherever it is he's been."

Embry appreciated the defense. He wished Jacob was here too – for as much as he hated vampires, he was still more reasonable than most of the others. He looked towards his other best friend to see what he thought.

"I guess she's not too bad for a blood – I mean vampire," said Quil, smiling sheepishly at him.

"Not bad?" Paul shouted. "She tried to kill me!"

"How did she heal you?" asked Jared, finally mentioning the _other_ topic that everyone was thinking about, but nobody mentioned. "When Seth asked about her abilities, she said it was magic. Could it be true?"

"Of course not. It's just a trick. Magic doesn't exist; it's impossible," Paul replied firmly.

Leah snorted. "Right, and vampires and werewolves are not usually considered out of the realm of possibility." Leah almost surprised Embry; he knew she couldn't actually be supporting him. It must be that she just likes disagreeing in general.

"Hermione said it was magic, and I believe her," he said quietly. Seriously, they were all still wearing the clothes she magicked for them.

"Whatever it is – it's powerful," said Jared. "A few minutes longer, and Paul wouldn't have made it."

Embry felt he needed to defend her. "She was only protecting her son!" He looked angrily at Paul; now that he was all healed, he could feel properly angry at him for messing up his first meeting with Hermione. What did she think of him?

"If the kid is even really her son!" Paul shouted back.

"What does that mean?" asked Jared.

"You didn't notice the kid?" Paul asked, his voice at a more reasonable level. Jared shook his head. "Sam?"

"What about the boy?" he asked curiously.

"His name is Hugo," interjected Seth helpfully.

Paul stayed silent, looking confused. It was one of the few times Embry had ever seen him hesitate to say anything – Paul had literally no tact.

"Well, what's the big deal about Hugo?" asked Leah obviously irritated.

"Before he had that shield up, I noticed his scent. It wasn't like other human children."

No one said anything for a moment, but Embry knew what everyone was thinking. Hugo couldn't be a vampire even if they couldn't smell through the shield. There were obvious _signs_, and the kid didn't look anything like a vampire. He was tan! He looked back towards Paul, waiting for an explanation.

"He smelled like us."

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><p><strong>AN:** **I hope it's not too confusing. Creative writing is not my strength - I'm a finance/economics major. Because the parts I have already worked on were not written in order, I had to correct several inconsistencies. I've changed this chapter so many times, so I decided to just check it once more and post. Feel free to ask any questions; I'll try to help clear things up.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

They were just outside the Cullen mansion, and Sam and Seth had finished explaining to everyone – except Edward who was out with Bella – about the new vampire Hermione. It was important that they gather as much information as possible. Hopefully, there would be something useful to share at the pack meeting tonight.

"Did you say magic?" asked Rosalie, with obvious scorn in her voice. Alice and Esme looked at her reproachfully.

"She made clothes appear out of nowhere, and lit that stick with fire. What would you call it?" asked Seth.

Sam looked towards Carlisle – the leech he found least offensive. "She made a deep slashing wound on Paul – nearly killed him – without touching him. You've never heard of anything like this?"

He hesitated, "There are myths of…humans with magic. I have never met any, nor can I remember even the Volturi ever mentioning them. They were just stories, baseless rumors."

Seth huffed, "They're more than stories."

ooOOoo

Embry had always thought everything would just resolve itself when he found his soulmate. Instead, Sam had made it clear that no one, including Embry, was to interact with her until further notice. While it had clearly been an order, Sam had not thought to make it a command from the Alpha.

That could change at nearly any moment, so Embry had to take this opportunity to properly meet Hermione.

He had tracked the scent to this side of town until it had suddenly disappeared. Still, there weren't too many houses over this way, and Embry knew he could track her down if he tried.

Embry continued following the faint trace of her. Even her scent was captivating; it was actually more surprising than anything else. Vampires had always had such an intense sickly sweet smell that made his whole face scrunch up. Not her, though perhaps there was a rule somewhere that your imprints had to smell appealing. He thought on it a while, his mind relaxing again at the incredible sensation of finally feeling complete, knowing that he had a soulmate.

He'd been hoping to imprint for a long while now, feeling that he was missing something great that the others had – something essential. He might not have expected – or even _wanted_ – for it to happen this way. She was a vampire. She already had a son – the physical resemblance was undeniable no matter what Paul believed. There was also a chance that she was already in a relationship.

Those were plenty of obstacles, but she was his soulmate. He had seen the others with their soulmates, and it was something he had wanted. He'd felt a little jealous and left out. After meeting her, even briefly, he knew he wouldn't give her up even if he could. He had been absolutely captivated, and he somehow just knew that there was not anybody else like her in the world. She was his soulmate _for a reason_.

His pack might not like it, but their approval did not matter. Rules were rules, and they would understand that. Concentrating on Quil and Leah who were also on patrols, he could sense their own distractions. Feeling confident that he hadn't been discovered, he phased back and slipped on his shorts.

He approached the house, feeling a bit like he was being watched but brushed off the sensation. He couldn't wait to meet her properly. And since vampires didn't sleep, he wasn't worried about waking her up.

Before he could take another step forward, however, his feet were suddenly stuck to the ground, and he realized he couldn't move them at all. He tried putting all his strength into lifting his right foot off the ground, but it didn't make any difference. He was about to try phasing when, with a loud crack, _she _appeared before him.

"Purposely intruding on another person's property is illegal. Trespassing on a vampire's property is suicidal." Her voice was cold, and her stance was threatening.

He quickly apologized, realizing that he just kept making a bad impression. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trespass. I mean, I guess yeah, I did – but not the way it appears. I just –"

"You boys obviously haven't got the message," she said annoyed. He barely saw the flash of red light before he blacked out.

ooOOoo

He didn't know how much time had passed. What he did know was this was the sight he wanted to open his eyes to everyday. She was absolutely beautiful. She was staring right at him, not blinking, and he realized that he hadn't ever taken much notice of the little details about vampires. Obviously, they didn't _need_ to blink. She wasn't moving either, sitting absolutely perfectly still. He wasn't sure that could be comfortable even for a vampire.

He wanted to say something to her – something impressive – but wasn't sure what. He hadn't done a good job of impressing her so far and thought it best to be silent for now.

He waited until she finally spoke. "This is Veritaserum," she said, holding up a small blue vial. "It is a truth-enforcing potion. I will be asking you some questions, and you will tell me the truth. You will not be able to lie, but I suspect you will try anyway. It makes no difference to me; it will only make the experience more uncomfortable for you. I have already given you the recommended dose while you were unconscious."

Okay, now this was disturbing.

He finally realized he was tied to a tree, his entire body unable to move except for his face. What should he do? He didn't think he could say anything that would upset her enough to hurt him – no matter how intimidating she was, she just did not seem the type. After all, she could have killed them all off at the beach. Still, he had no idea what she would ask. He tried to relax, knowing that it would do no good to worry.

"What is your name?" she asked him.

Great, that was an easy one – no worries there. "Embry Call. I'm glad to finally meet you – I've been wanting to see you again since earlier today at the beach. I know we didn't make a good impression, but I just wanted to let you know that I don't have any intention of starting a fight. The others won't start a fight again either, in case you were wondering. And I'm sorry for trespassing, but I just wanted to meet you. The moment I first saw you it was like gravity shifted. It no longer tied me to the place where I stood; it was you holding me here. You were just so amazing – I wasn't sure what to say. I was too surprised to say anything, really. And I haven't been able to stop thinking of you since. That part didn't surprise me too much – that seems to be how imprinting works." Embry couldn't really describe the sensation of that potion accurately. Not only did it make him answer questions honestly, but it seemed to encourage him to speak. Once he got going, he hadn't even considered stopping. It was completely strange, though he couldn't really blame her for being cautious. It was obvious she thought he was there to spy and report back to the pack.

Though a little worrisome, it wasn't a bad experience, sitting here and staring at Hermione. He loved her name too – it was beautiful. _Just like her_, he thought.

"You have a beautiful name," he blurted, then immediately felt his face flush. He really needed to control himself before he made an even worse impression.

She smiled cautiously. "Thank you. Some of your speech was rather interesting, and I will ask you to elaborate further later. For now, I want you to answer yes or no to the following questions. Did your pack send you here?"

"No," he replied. It was easier to control himself now.

"Do they know you're here?"

"No."

"Were you here to spy?"

"No." This was going to be a long interrogation, but he was able to keep from saying that. Besides, it was better than being sent away.

"How did you find me?" she asked, her expression curious.

"Your scent is…unmistakable. I wanted to find you, so I just concentrated. It took a while; your scent seemed to disappear from the road suddenly, but I suspected you would be in this area. Then, I just had to trace your scent again."

"Does your pack intend to attack me?"

"Only if you threaten or bite any humans. They won't attack otherwise because I've imprinted on you, and attacking you is against pack rules. They'd have to fight me to the death."

Her face briefly showed surprise. "Seth mentioned this imprint-thing before. Elaborate."

"It means you're my soul-mate. I know it sounds weird, but it's the truth. We only imprint once, and some never imprint at all. It isn't something we can control. When Sam imprinted on Emily, he was dating her cousin Leah – she's the only girl werewolf in our pack. They were high school sweethearts, but then he broke up with her to date her cousin. It was terrible, especially because she didn't understand at the time. She wasn't a werewolf yet. Quil imprinted on a toddler, and we thought that was the weirdest. She's still just a baby, so his feelings are just brotherly now until she's old enough. Each werewolf only imprints once, and the feeling is very intense. It's like the most perfect person out there just for you. There's only one soul-mate. I've never heard of anyone being rejected before, but we heard that when their soul-mate dies, usually the werewolf dies soon after." He tried to think if he'd left anything out but couldn't think of anything.

"I don't believe in soul-mates, never have." At least, not since she was 8.

He protested. "But – but _we're soulmates!_" She had to believe him!

"I realize that you truly believe that; otherwise you would be choking on a lie. I suppose there might be some truth to the intense feelings you described, and I will research it further. But what exactly do you expect from me?"

"Just to give me a chance," he paused, visibly concerned with a new thought that occurred to him. "Are you married?"

"No," she answered coldly.

"So you'll give me a chance?" He was persistent.

"I'm not married or in a relationship. You're attractive enough, I suppose, but that's not tempting enough for me. I have not so much as dated in years. I'm not looking for a relationship. Even if I tried, there's no guarantee that I would be able to reciprocate your feelings. You described an immediate attraction at first sight, but I did not feel anything like that at all." Her voice wasn't so cold anymore. It was like she was trying to turn him down gently.

"But you will!" he insisted, feeling nervous that she would decide not to even give it a try. "It will just take some time. You just need to get to know me. If I imprinted on you, it means that I will be perfectly compatible with you. Won't you just give me a chance?" He didn't know why he felt so desperate. She lived close by; he would have other chances to change her mind. But he had the feeling that once she resolved on something, she would be more difficult to move than a mountain.

Fortunately, it appeared she was actually considering it.

Hermione continued interrogating him for nearly an hour. She seemed particularly interested in the history of the Spirit Warriors, but he didn't have the answers to the detailed questions she asked. She even asked a few questions about the Cullens, mostly concerned with how they interact with humans, other vampires, as well as werewolves.

Finally, it seemed that she was satisfied that neither were presently a threat. She waved her stick, and he was immediately released. The blood flowed freely through his limbs, and he stretched to get rid of the aches.

"So will you give me a chance?" he asked.

"I have a 4-year old son."

"I like kids," he replied earnestly.

She looked like she was about to turn him down gently, so he quickly changed the subject. "At the beach today," he winced at the tactless reminder of that horrible encounter, "you said that you've only been a vampire for seven months. We faced some newborns last year, and they were crazy with bloodlust."

She understood his implied question and answered, "What many do not realize is that the transformation is so painful and intense, the senses are so magnified, and the mind is so enhanced – that vampire feels nearly completely removed from who they were before. It is literally like being born anew. With the thirst being so overwhelming – especially for such enhanced senses – newborn vampires can hardly rationalize at all. Those without families typically adapt easily, and those who do quickly forget them as a sort of coping mechanism. I think it's different for everyone, though. It was overwhelming for me, but all I could focus on was Hugo. He's what holds me here," she said with a smile, returning his words about the gravity-like effect of imprinting. And he could tell it was true, too. She practically glowed with love for her son.

But he also remembered her words about the pain. "Did it hurt very much?" It was a stupid question – she just said so.

"It was the most physically painful experience of my entire life. It feels like every nerve ending in your body is on fire – that comes from the venom causing the transformation. If you're conscious when it travels to your heart, besides the regular burning you also feel like white-hot knives are being stabbed throughout it. You suddenly feel like you're not just being burned alive but also frozen at the same time. You feel hungry and thirsty, yet practically throwing up acid. The worse sensation of all, though, is feeling like it will never end. Even considering your most painful experience and multiplying it a thousand fold is really only an idea of the level of pain."

It was so much worse than he expected. Hermione should never have had that painful experience. She doesn't deserve it. He somehow wished he could have been there to comfort her or help in some way. He can't do anything about the past, but he can at least protect her now.

He thought about asking her about Hugo. She didn't seem opposed to answering some of his questions too, and Paul had seemed convinced about what he smelled. The chances of Hugo being a werewolf too were slim – they were from England, so he couldn't be related to the tribe.

Before he could ask, however, she spoke again, "You asked me to give you a chance. I'm trying to be understanding of this whole imprint-thing since it sounds completely out of your control. But Hugo is my priority, not dating. If you're interested in a possible relationship with me, you need to understand that Hugo and I are a package deal."

"That's not a problem," he assured her. "I'd love getting to know him. Family's important." Anyone important to her was important to him. And he loved kids; he spent enough time with Quil around little Claire. A boy would be so much more fun.

"I'm glad you think so. My parents are moving here over the weekend, and they will definitely want to meet you," she said with a teasing smile.

He stopped smiling. Parents? "You're joking, right?" he asked, nervously.

"Certainly not. Anyway, I have some work to do, and I'm sure you need some sleep. You may come by tomorrow during the afternoon at 1:00. Hugo and I have some shopping to do to get him ready for school. You can show us around."

He smiled, she sure was bossy.

ooOOoo

Somewhere in Canada, a russet-colored wolf was running at full speed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I've been eager to get Jacob back in the story. Though his temper gets on my nerves sometimes, he's still one of my favorite characters. Because I wanted the story to take place before the wedding to give Hermione the focus of all the characters – that means that Jake is gone. In canon, Seth and the others were still able to communicate with him even while he was far away – he told Bella that Jake was in Canada and not interested in coming back. This powerful vampire who was able to defeat the whole pack and can do magic – it's a big deal. So yes, Jacob's coming home soon.**

**Also, some people have asked me about the setting of the story – which I hope I've just cleared up. Recap: This takes place 5 years after the war, and a few weeks after Jacob left because Bella's getting married. Hey, it's fanfiction.**

"_**You're attractive enough, I suppose, but that's not tempting enough for me."**_** Can anyone recognize from what novel I based this quote?**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It had been one of the longest days of his life – but also one of the best. He had immediately transformed, knowing he would be late to meet with the rest of the pack if he walked back all the way to La Push. Still, he focused his thoughts as much as possible on the scene at the beach. He didn't want any of the others catching thoughts of his late night rendezvous with Hermione. No one – including him – was supposed to approach Hermione until they knew more about her. It was a safety precaution.

Though he imprinted on her, it would only excuse his behavior to a certain extent. They would be annoyed and even angry to know he'd met with her without an official okay, but it would blow over. If they knew about what had actually happened during their encounter, he would be in a world of trouble. A little flirtation does not compare to revealing sensitive information about the pack.

Fortunately, he was not the last to arrive; Leah was slightly behind him.

"Let's wrap this up, so we can catch some rest," said Sam wearily. "Jared, were you and Paul able to get in touch with Jake?"

After the encounter at the beach today, Jared and Paul had been assigned to contact Jacob and try to bring him home. Sam didn't want the pack missing a crucial member at a time like this. "Yeah, but you know what it's like trying to talk to him when he's thinking of _her_. I wasn't even sure if he was really listening to us, but then he said he'd be here soon."

"All right!" Seth wasn't the only one excited. Embry wanted to talk to him too, but preferably in person. Secrets were impossible in a pack that had a permanently "on" telepathic connection, but that didn't mean he couldn't at least _discuss_ it in private. Jake would probably be more understanding. Most of the pack had lost patience for Bella.

"No strange leeches anywhere," reported Leah. She, Quil, and Embry had been assigned patrols. Fortunately, they were done for the night.

"Sam and I went to see the Cullens, and they don't know anything about magic. They haven't heard of any vampires than can just appear and disappear either. Dr. Cullen said that there was a myth about humans with magic, but he never believed it. It sounded like nobody else did either."

Not much else was discussed at the meeting, and Embry quickly took off towards home.

ooOOoo

He woke up hours later, shaking and sweating. He looked around quickly, assuring himself he was still in his room. Through the window, he could spot the small crescent moon. He glanced towards the clock; it read 4:26.

He let out a breath of relief. "It was just a dream," he said aloud. His dream started out pleasant enough. He and Hermione had a great relationship and were about to kiss – when she bit him instead and drank his blood until he could feel the life slipping out of him.

Feeling exhausted and completely unrested, Embry closed his eyes again and tried to forget those beautiful brown eyes turning red.

ooOOoo

"So you mentioned something about nearby wolf-men?" Wanda Granger asked her daughter, curiously. They were speaking through the communication mirrors she had enchanted for the family. She had gotten the idea from the mirror Sirius had gifted Harry with. She had even improved on it by enchanting a network for them, so she could give a mirror to both her parents and Hugo. It was complicated magic, but certainly worth the effort.

"More like wolf-_boys_," she finally replied. "They physically mature very quickly once they make the change – but I've noticed they seem just as juvenile as other boys their age."

"I admit your father and I were very worried. He wanted to cancel all appointments so we could go there straight away. I convinced him that any trouble was already over, and he could wait two more days."

A second window suddenly appeared in the mirror, her father having activated his as well. "Are they going to be a problem?" Matthew Granger always took everything concerning his family and safety very seriously. He believed in a healthy diet, always wearing seatbelts, and keeping a fully-stocked medicine cabinet.

"Not if they're smart," she paused for a moment, wondering how to explain Embry to them and decided on the straight approach. "Like I said yesterday, there was a brief altercation at the beach, but I handled it. I found out later, though, that one of the wolf-boys imprinted on me. He says that it means I'm his _soulmate_." Her mother's smile was so suggestive that Hermione was glad she couldn't blush anymore. She was never very good at these awkward type of conversations.

Her father had a different reaction, as she suspected he would. "And what did you say to him when he told you that?"

"Well, I sort of felt a bit sorry for him as I knew he couldn't be lying." At their questioning looks, she explained, "He was under Truth Serum – it's a long story. In any case, he agreed to accompany Hugo and me while we shop for school supplies; he should be here soon. And on Friday, he'll be coming over for dinner. I'm not sure what I think about all this – it's really very strange – but I wanted you to meet him anyway."

"I'll be glad for his visit – I can't wait to meet him. I want you to tell me all about him, Hermione. You always leave out all the best details," commanded her mother, excitedly.

She nodded towards her mother. In the last few years, their unwavering support had really helped them restore their relationship. After being accepted at Hogwarts, Hermione had slowly spent less and less time with her family, though it had not been her intention. While they didn't have a _bad _relationship, it was certainly very distant – quite unlike the close relationship they had shared before Hogwarts.

When she realized that she would have to erase their memories in the summer after sixth year, she felt guilty and awkward as she explained the situation to them. She had kept quite a bit of information from them, so it was a long and difficult process. Her parents had reluctantly agreed. They didn't want to leave their daughter in danger while they were obliviously safe, but they suspected she would have erased their memories anyway.

That realization had been like a knock to the head – but too late. She had immediately gone to them after the final battle and restored their memories. It had only been a few days, however, until she realized that she was pregnant.

Considering how supportive they had been during the most difficult time of her life, confiding in them was very easy and came naturally now. She no longer had to keep her worry to herself and could share the burden. For as much as she loved Harry and Ron, she had rarely been able to confide in them. She had always been the confident in that relationship.

"So is he good looking?" her mother asked, interrupting her thoughts.

She rolled her eyes, "Yes." One word answers _really _annoyed her mother.

Now it was Wanda's turn to roll her eyes. "What does he look like?" she rephrased her question.

"Tall, tanned, black hair – that sort of thing. And before you ask – yes, he's physically fit."

"I certainly like the sound of that – tall, dark, and handsome. He wasn't one of the aggressive ones at the beach yesterday, correct?"

"He was not remotely aggressive towards me or Hugo. He actually defended me, not that I needed it."

"I'll be paying attention to how Crookshanks reacts to him," said her father. At that, they all shared a laugh and chatted a while further until Hugo came downstairs for lunch.

ooOOoo

After such a restless night, it was no surprise that he'd overslept. Embry rushed out the door, anxious to get to Hermione's house. He was about to phase when he ran into Quil.

"Where're you going?" asked Quil, jogging to catch up to him.

"To see Hermione," he replied, honestly. They were going to find out anyway, and it was best for the first person to be Quil or Jake; they were more understanding.

"Who's that? The bloodsucker?"

"Don't call her that!" he growled furiously.

"Sorry, the new vampire. I forget her name," Quil said quickly, noting his temper. "But didn't Sam say to stay away until we knew more about her?"

"It wasn't an _order_," he growled back. "But try not to announce it."

Quil looked like he wanted to object, but fortunately didn't say anything further.

Embry looked at his watch; it was a quarter until 1:00. He'd have to phase to make it in time. "Look Quil, I'm kind of in a hurry. We'll talk later." He didn't look back as he left and phased as soon as he was out of sight.

He made it in record time and suddenly felt overwhelmed with nerves as he approached the house. He remembered what happened the last time he was here – it was just last night he was tied up and interrogated. Before he could even knock, the door swung open, startling him.

"I heard you," she said with an easy smile. He realized he would need to get used to her vampire hearing. But her smile put him a bit more at ease, and he felt himself relax. "Hugo's changing his shoes; he'll be right down."

Looking around the house, he realized she had already fully moved in. There was furniture, appliances, and all the photos and decorative items girls usually filled their space with. It was almost unbelievable. The news had spread last week of a house purchase – Forks was a small town – but there was nothing about a moving van. It shouldn't surprise him, considering all he had already seen her do, so he pushed it out of his mind.

"Those your parents?" he asked, referring to a large portrait over the fireplace. They definitely were, as the family resemblance was obvious, but he was hoping to find out a little bit more about her.

"Yes," she smiled, "they're dentists. You can meet them when they arrive this weekend. They were still wrapping up some business with the dental practice. I expect they'll be opening one up here once they settle in."

She had mentioned her parents last night, and he'd wondered if they were her _real _parents. The Hermione depicted in the picture was obviously human, with bushy brown hair and a slight tan. The family resemblance was very obvious. All the vampires he had known didn't have any living family as far he knew. It sort of made it easier to dehumanize vampires. Still, he wondered what sort of relationship they had – it obviously had to be good. She spoke of them fondly, and they were apparently moving in this weekend. But did they know about her?

"Do they know you're a vampire?" he asked, not able to hold back his curiosity. He continued looking around at all the pictures – there were a lot and even some that _moved_. There were even some framed newspaper clippings with headings like "Smartest Witch of Her Age Speaks Out Against Discrimination" and "War Heroine Hermione Granger Campaigns for Equality." He wanted to ask her about those too – there was just so much about her he still didn't know. She was so fascinating.

"Of course. It's not like they're unused to my unique qualities. When I was 11-years old, I received an acceptance letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was such a surprise; we had no idea I was a witch. But we were all so excited – and relieved. There was finally an explanation for all the strange things that occurred when I was feeling strong emotions.

"And that was years ago. They're so used to magic now. When I was bitten, it was a bit of a worry, but that was mostly because it was new and unknown. Knowing facts about vampires from books is not exactly the same. Still, we adapted.

"My parents were especially interested in studying my teeth," she grinned. "They were a bit disappointed that vampires don't have fangs."

"Your friends?" he asked, pointing to a picture of a pre-vampire Hermione with two boys her age. It was one of the _moving _photographs.

She smiled, "Harry and Ron – my best friends ever since they saved me from a troll."

"_A troll!_" Trolls were real?

She grinned mischievously, and he felt his heart speed up.

Suddenly, Embry's nose caught a scent that was both familiar and unfamiliar. It strongly resembled the scent that followed his pack members, but was a little off. So Paul hadn't just imagined it. He wished he could ask Hermione about it, but he suspected it was too soon. She seemed very reserved.

"Mum, can we go yet?" asked a messy-haired boy in bright orange. The kid had wild hair that resembled Hermione's from the photograph. Embry wondered how such a child could be a werewolf too; it didn't make sense. Phasing didn't happen until after puberty, and they were definitely not related to the pack. He would ask Hermione later.

"Sweetie, come here and meet Embry. Do you remember him from the beach?"

"Yeah, he was nicer than the big one. Do you play quidditch?" he addressed the question at him.

"I don't think so. What's quidditch?

"You don't know what quidditch is?" he asked, appalled. "But Mum says all the magic schools have quidditch teams. Were you home-schooled? Mum and Nana were teaching me at home in London, but then Mum got bit by a vampire and we had to move because people were being mean and the Aurors wanted to take Mummy. I get to go to a real school now, Mum says, but there won't be any quidditch because it's a muggle school and muggles don't fly. But I brought my broom and will get to fly it after homework is done. You want to see? It's only a training broom because Mum says flying is dangerous and I could fall and break my neck. But it still goes wicked fast!" He said all this very fast, and though Embry didn't understand it all, he definitely liked the kid.

"Hugo, Embry isn't a wizard, so of course he doesn't know what quidditch is. You may explain it to him later. We're going shopping for your school supplies, and you remember what I said about talking of magic around muggles," she stated calmly.

It obviously didn't dampen Hugo's excitement. "You will love quidditch! I'll show you my broom when we get back. If you're not a wizard, how are you an animagus? Mum says it takes high-level magic."

And that was how the afternoon was spent. While Hugo was obedient and didn't mention magic or quidditch or brooms once they arrived at the store, he asked question after question, often not even giving him the chance to answer. Embry liked him a lot but still wished for an opportunity to speak more privately with Hermione. She certainly seemed content to let Hugo take over the conversation, and Embry knew he'd have to settle for just being able to spend time with her.

He looked back down at the supply list in his hands and was surprised to see that it was for second grade. "I thought you said he was just 4?" he asked, pointing to the heading on the list.

"Hugo's already quite advanced for his age," Hermione explained, placing two packs of pencils in the shopping cart.

"Advanced enough to skip 3 grades?" he asked. "That's pretty impressive."

She smiled proudly. "His reading level is at the second grade – at least. I was always a quick learner too, but he's already surpassed me at that age. He enjoys learning and is eager to make friends. He's very social."

"I noticed – he can really tell a story," he said with a laugh as he looked at the supply list. "Were you the same way?" He took a pack of crayons and color pencils from the shelf and added them to the cart.

"Not exactly. I sure liked talking and was never shy. I loved learning and was very dedicated to my studies, so I was confident of my knowledge. I was always at the top of my class. That led to a certain confidence with my peers – I would correct them if they made a mistake and advise them to study and concentrate more. I might have been a bit…bossy. It was unintentional, but I was very awkward socially. It made me rather unpopular, and I became known as an insufferable know-it-all." She laughed but seemed a bit embarrassed by it.

She took the supply list and began scratching out the items they already collected. He noted that she was very neat and organized after seeing the inside of her house – but she was even organized when she shopped.

"When did it get better? I saw some pictures of you with school friends."

"When I got accepted into boarding school," here she looked him in the eye and he knew she meant _Hogwarts_, "I thought things would be different. They weren't. Kids are the same everywhere and my social awkwardness didn't disappear. But a few months into the first term, a _creature_ was let into the school. Ron – the redhead in the photograph – had made a comment about my being a nightmare, so it was no wonder I didn't have any friends. Well I heard and spent the afternoon in the girl's loo crying. I didn't hear the announcement about _the danger_. Harry and Ron were feeling guilty and came to my rescue. We survived by pure luck – but we were friends ever since."

"Except for the part where you were in danger, it was a pretty cool way to start a friendship. Near-death situations help to form strong bonds," he said, as he thought of the pack. He, Jake, and Quil had always been best friends – but their friendship grew closer when they became part of the pack. He often thought of the others as his brothers too.

The conversation lagged for a while and soon turned awkward as they just waited in line to purchase the supplies.

Hermione seemed uncomfortable in the silence too because she brought the conversation back to Hugo, "He's so eager for social interaction with other children. It was another reason why I didn't want to put him in Pre-kindergarten or even Kindergarten; he'd be so ahead, he might have a hard time of it. He'd be on a more equal level with the second grade students."

"It's incredible to think someone so young can already read." She practically preened. He almost punched a fist in the air when he saw how much she appreciated his comment and made a note to compliment Hugo often.

"Yes, it is. He learns very quickly. We spend some of our evenings together just reading – most children his age can't even read yet. His education is very important, and I want him to have the proper experience at a school."

"Mum, you said we can get ice cream," reminded Hugo, in a familiar bossy tone as they left the store. Embry carried the bags. Hermione might be stronger – but he was a gentleman.

"Is there a grocery store nearby?" She asked suddenly. "I need to stock up."

He showed her to the nearest place. It was certainly an interesting experience, shopping with Hermione and Hugo. When he wasn't trying to ride the cart and speed through the aisles, he would disappear and return with candy and toys. The hyperactive boy kept adding things to the cart, and Hermione kept taking things out. Still, she left the ice cream and some snacks, most of which were sugar-free.

When they arrived back at the house and stored the purchases, Hermione thanked him for showing them around. It was a polite dismissal, but Embry wasn't ready to call it a day. He wanted to spend more time with Hermione.

Fortunately, Hugo took that moment to reappear with a broom in his hands. "Embry, want to see me fly? Come on, I will show you." And without waiting for a response, the boy immediately grabbed his hand and pulled him outdoors.

Hermione didn't object and even made herself comfortable in a wide swing, facing them.

"Want to see something brilliant?" he asked excitedly, holding his hand out over the broom lying prostrate on the ground. "Watch this. _Up!"_

And the broom actually obeyed him! It flew straight into the boy's hand. Hugo had on the most smug expression he'd ever seen on a kid, and he couldn't help but laugh in response. It _was_ pretty cool, and he told him so.

"But the best part is flying!" And without any warning, the kid leaped on the broom and soared in the air. He zoomed around a couple times while Embry watched on, amazed. It seemed the "training broom" couldn't go more than four feet high because Hugo would point upwards and get a frustrated look on his face. Still, the kid was having a blast zooming around the yard.

It looked awesome.

He looked towards Hermione who was watching with a small smile on her face. She looked so relaxed, and he noticed that she looked a lot more like the pre-vampire Hermione from the picture. She must have felt his stare because she turned her gaze towards him.

He felt a bit on the spot suddenly, and he wished he could do something impressive. Phasing wouldn't be a good idea, and nothing else came to mind.

Feeling much too awkward to remain standing there, his feet carried him towards Hermione. This was the best opportunity to spend more time with her. She scooted to the side, silently inviting him to sit next to her.

"This is a nice place," he told her, after an awkward moment of silence. She seemed to be content to sit and watch Hugo, but he wanted to talk to her.

"Thank you."

"Hugo's really having a lot of fun on the broom. How did he learn to fly?" He figured this would be a more successful attempt at conversation.

"Yes, he's very active. Harry taught him how to fly back home and even gifted him with this broom. I can hardly prevent him from using it unless I want to be the world's most unpopular mother," she said wryly. "But I've been talking about myself the whole day. What about your family and friends?"

He was eager to tell her more about himself, and he talked about Jake and Quil. He even told her about his mother and how she was always disappointed in him, thinking he was in a gang or something. He admitted he hadn't told his mother the truth about the pack. "She's from the Makah tribe, and we always believed my father was a passing tourist or from another tribe. But the werewolf gene…it's only passed down in the Quileute tribe. And it's a big deal. It means one of my friends' dads is my father too."

"But you all seemed pretty close from that one encounter we all had." She was no longer focusing solely on Hugo. He had the feeling that he had her complete attention for the first time in the whole day.

"Yeah, we're like brothers – even Leah. Though it was a little terrifying at first, being a werewolf is pretty cool." He decided to finally ask what he'd realized earlier in the day. "It's pretty interesting, actually. Even when I'm not phased, all of my senses are much more enhanced than before. And I noticed that Hugo's scent is a little…similar to ours."

Her eyes narrowed, and he felt a little nervous. "I suppose I should have thought of that," she said calmly. "But you're wrong you know. Hugo isn't like you. He's a werewolf – a real one. The kind that transform only at the full moon. I've been researching for a cure since he was born – before even. I think you could actually help me."

"Really? How? I'm not good at research or anything, though I'll help however I can." This could be his way to prove himself to her.

"In the magical world, the most accurate way to label you would be as a shape-shifter. Still, the only documented shape-shifter are selkies. I've never heard of anything like a hereditary gene, allowing humans to transform into wolves. It was a little astonishing, to be honest. The American magical government doesn't know anything of your existence. In any case, if I can study a blood sample, that would go a long towards discovering a cure for Hugo."

He wasn't quite sure why Hugo needed a cure, and before he could ask her more about it, Hugo began shouting.

"Mum! Embry! You're not even watching me! Look at this new move!" shouted Hugo, who apparently noticed he was no longer the center of attention. Rather than a new move, he demonstrated an improved one, but Embry and Hermione knew to encourage him all the same.

And that was how the remainder of the visit was spent.

All in all, Embry thought it was a great day.

ooOOoo

Then things took a turn for the worst. Because of Hermione's presence, patrols were longer and more frequent. The fact that the Cullens were not able to shed any light on "magic" or anything resembling her capabilities had the pack on high alert. Much as he tried to control his thoughts, the night was simply too calm and boring for him to focus on anything but Hermione.

If he hadn't zoned out, he would have noticed how the entire pack was focused on him, but he didn't. So he was entirely surprised when Sam and Paul, shortly followed by all the rest, arrived in front of him.

He dived out of the way just in time to avoid the snap of Paul's jaw.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ****Merry Christmas!**

**Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, favorites….and just thanks for reading! And yes, I based the quote from Pride and Prejudice. It is my favorite book. Has anyone seen the movies? The A&E version with Colin Firth is my favorite. **

**And guess what? I graduated December 17 – BBA in finance and economics. I was pretty close to graduating with honors too, but I didn't feel like spending another semester just to lift my GPA. It was time.**

**So what do you think about Hugo? Do you think Hermione made a mistake not telling Embry more about Hugo? Is Paul getting on anyone's nerves yet? **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Hermione looked up at the huge house in front of her. A more accurate description would be mansion. It was beautiful, but she wasn't here to admire the architecture. She had determined, ever since hearing that there were other vampires in Forks, to meet them and ascertain whether they were a threat. Her son was a werewolf, and the natural instincts between the two were difficult to overcome.

She took her time walking up to the house, so they would hear her footsteps. She wanted it to be clear that she wasn't sneaking up on them.

As she expected, a vampire opened the door before she could even knock. "You must be Hermione Granger," she said, holding out her hand with perfect friendliness. "I'm Esme Cullen."

Hermione was used to expecting the worst – even while hoping for the best. She was honestly surprised; she had expected hostility, wariness, and at best indifference.

This woman, however, had a very kind and motherly demeanor.

Feeling herself relax a bit, she nodded and shook her hand. "That's right. I've heard about you from the wolf-tribe and wanted to meet you in person."

"Of course, and I'm so glad you did. Please come in; I'll introduce you to the family."

The house was equally beautiful on the inside, but Hermione didn't have time to admire it properly as she could feel the intense stares of six other vampires.

"This is my husband, Carlisle. He's a doctor. These are our children: Edward, Jasper, Alice, Emmet, and Rosalie."

She nodded her head in greeting and took a moment to observe them. Except for the husband who seemed very curious and even somewhat excited to meet her, the rest were noticeably wary. The blond named Rosalie seemed outright hostile.

Still, they all had a bright golden shade to their eyes, which confirmed that they only consumed blood from animals. It was certainly very interesting that they were able to maintain such control.

Feeling a strange pressure on her mind, she winced and looked around the room. The guilty face belonged to the one called Edward. She almost growled at him, "Stay out. What isn't shared is personal."

"Sorry. But I can't turn it off."

"Perhaps you can't. You're not a wizard. But I didn't just imagine that mental pressure. I had my Occlumency walls up, and I distinctly felt someone trying to penetrate my mind. _That _was no accident."

His guilt seemed to have disappeared very quickly, as he looked intensely curious now. She assumed they must have heard of her magical abilities, no doubt from the wolf-tribe.

"You felt him?" asked Carlisle in shock. The others all looked surprised as well when she nodded in response.

"This is all very fascinating, and while I would love to learn more, I assume you came here with a specific purpose in mind," said the doctor.

She nodded. "I did. I had a rather unfriendly encounter with the wolf-pack several days ago, instigated by their hostile and irrational behavior. After they mentioned you in passing, I decided that it was imperative I meet you in person to determine whether or not you would be a threat."

She employed her know-it-all voice which served her best when delivering such a verbal bomb.

Dr. Cullen and Esme both looked confused. "Why did you think we would be a threat?

"We don't go around attacking other vampires," said Emmett. She remembered him easily as he was very muscular. "Well, unless they attack us first, of course."

"I need to be certain," she replied. "My son is a werewolf."

There, another bomb dropped. It seemed they hadn't known anything about her son, if she was reading their surprised expressions correctly. That revealed that the "treaty" between the wolf-pack and the vampires was tentative at best. Considering the prejudice between the groups, this was not unexpected.

She focused back on the vampire family in front of her.

Silence met her pronouncement.

Wordlessly, Esme led Hermione and the others past the foyer and into the living room where they all took a seat. "Is he adopted?" asked Alice curiously.

"No," replied Hermione honestly. "The whole vampire thing is a rather recent change for me."

"Still, how did you have a werewolf son?" asked Emmett. The boy really had no shame.

She found his blatant curiosity offensive and replied, "His father was a werewolf. I didn't come here to give my life story. I know how instinctual the animosity between vampires and werewolves is, so I need to be certain that you will control yourselves."

"You have our word that we will not attack your son," assured Esme.

"Or my parents, though I've heard you do not drink from humans."

That brought even more incredulity, but she had expected as much. She explained just a bit about her parents, and they were all impressed at the support from her family after her change. In turn, they explained about Edward being engaged to marry a human girl – Isabella Swan – and even went so far as to invite her to the wedding.

Esme was very friendly and even asked questions about her son. It made Hermione think that she might actually be able to have a friend here in Forks.

It seemed Esme's thoughts had been echoing her own because she then said, "I hope we will be able to become friends. We seem to have quite a lot in common already."

Hermione stared at her uncomprehendingly.

"We have families, for one. It is actually rare for vampires; most are solitary or only travel with a partner," explained Esme.

"And we all drink animal blood," added Emmett.

"Who said I drink animal blood?"

ooOOoo

Embry was watching a movie, trying to while away the hours before he saw Hermione again. The movie was decidedly boring – no action. But it was better than being around any of the pack after that last argument. Unlike Jake or Leah, he was never angry about being a werewolf – even though it affected his relationship with his mother.

But now, he resented it. Just a few days ago, he was telling Hermione how the pack was like a family. But now, he really didn't want to be around them. Unless it was patrols, he avoided them like the plague. He was tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. Paul had actually dislocated his shoulder before Sam could stop him; the rest were a mixture of anger and disappointment. While he was grateful Quil hadn't been as hostile with him, he couldn't help but resent him as well. Quil had imprinted also – he should understand. But Quil behaved as if he betrayed them – actually made him feel guilty when he didn't do anything wrong.

They just didn't understand. None of them did. So much for _family_. He wished Jake were here.

"Hey Embry," greeted Jacob calmly, as if he hadn't disappeared for several weeks. Embry looked up in surprise.

"Jake! It's good to have you back," he replied, genuinely glad to have his friend back. He and Jake had been best friends since forever – it was just weird without him around.

And selfishly, he also knew that Jake wasn't as judgmental as the others. He was tired and exhausted of having to defend himself.

"I heard about the argument. Really sucks."

He nodded. "It really does."

"What's she like?" Jacob asked curiously. "I never expected that any of us could imprint on a vampire.

"She's great. So smart and beautiful and friendly. She's also a witch and can do awesome stuff with magic. She has a son too…" And Embry explained how their last "date" went.

"Wait, did you just say the kid was flying on a broom?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah, glad to know you're still listening." Embry rolled his eyes. As if Jake didn't spend a lot of time talking about Bella, though he wouldn't mention it.

It was like old times. They spoke about a lot of stuff, though Hermione remained a prevalent topic. He almost didn't notice when it was time to get to Hermione's place. Almost.

ooOOoo

After an awkward moment of silence, Edward stood up and examined her closely. "There's something about your eyes. I noticed they were brown, but they seem…off somehow."

She grinned, impressed despite herself. "You noticed. That's because I'm wearing a glamour." She waved her wand towards her eyes, removing the charm. "Red eyes can be a little frightening."

Everyone suddenly seemed uncomfortable, and Hermione suspected she knew why. Honestly, the people in this town took many liberties making assumptions about someone they didn't even know. Still, she didn't blame them too much for the lack of trust and explained that she didn't harm any humans. There was no need to bite innocents just to feed.

"So where do you get the blood?" asked Edward.

"I order it, of course."

Naturally, she had to explain to them that the magical world had resources for vampires. It was rather easy for humans to donate blood when they could just take blood-replenisher afterward. This, of course, led to many questions about the magical world. Though Hermione attempted to remain distant, it was rather difficult when faced with such genuine interest and friendliness.

It was true she wasn't here to make friends, but there was no reason why she couldn't.

ooOOoo

Hearing approaching footsteps outside the house, Hermione went to the front door and opened it before Embry had even reached the door.

"Oh hello Embry, you're just in time," Hermione said, leading him inside towards the dining room table. "Dad, Mum, this is Embry Call who I told you about. These are my parents, Drs. Matthew and Wanda Granger."

Though obviously a bit nervous, Embry politely shook hands with her parents. Her mother made customary small talk as Hermione served the drinks. But Hugo, who just came down the stairs, liked his fair share of the attention.

"Hey Embry! Mum said you were coming for dinner; she cooked all the food. Even though she doesn't like normal food anymore, she still cooks delicious. Does your mum like to cook? Or does the food taste bad like Aunt Ginny's?"

"My mom likes to cook too, and it's pretty good," he replied.

"Smell the food? It makes me hungry, but mum says we have to wait for you because you're a guest. I helped mum in the kitchen. Do you help your mum too?"

He ruffled Hugo's hair. "I don't, but I'm actually feeling guilty about it now," he said to Hermione, with a sheepish smile.

Hermione tried not to smile. It wouldn't do to be too expressive; her mother was already hoping that this relationship with Embry would develop. She just wanted her daughter to be happy. And though she liked him well enough to give him a chance, she certainly had not made any commitment beyond that. Best not to encourage her mother too much. She led him towards the dining room table and hoped that dinner would go smoothly.

It seemed Embry wasn't as awkward socially as she had assumed; likely he had only been a bit nervous around her before. He seemed very natural and even charming now. Embry was getting along well with her folks, and he was great with Hugo.

"So tell me what Hermione was like as a child," he said to her parents. The conversation flowed naturally from there. Her mother, unfortunately, had the habit of sharing too much information. Hermione was actually appreciative of the fact she couldn't blush anymore. Still, Embry looked at her with a sly grin at certain key moments of the conversation that made her feel like he could see right through her.

"So Hermione tells us that you're a shapeshifter," begins Matthew.

"Embry turns into a big wolf," interrupts Hugo. "Anytime he wants, and it doesn't hurt him. Right, Embry?" He looked eagerly towards Embry for approval.

Embry looked as if he was about to say something, but instead he picked up his drink.

Hugo hated being ignored. Hermione quickly served him his favorite dessert, but he was in an obvious sulk now. She didn't understand Embry's behavior and made a mental note to speak to him about it immediately after dinner.

Fortunately, her father continued speaking as if nothing happened. "She explained the animagus transformation to me a long time ago, so I find it interesting that you have the ability to transform without being wizards."

Embry remained silent, so Hermione answered in his stead, "I assume that one of his ancestors had some magical ability. It could have been some ritual or something that ensured the ability was passed down his line."

"Well, since the ability is hereditary and not transferred by bite, perhaps Hermione can take a blood sample. It could go a long way in finding a cure for Hugo," he said.

Hermione looked to Embry, expecting to see his agreement. Instead, his face looks strained. He didn't deny the suggestion, but didn't encourage it either which drew her suspicions.

It is a rather drastic change from his previous behavior.

After helping to clear up the dishes, Hermione went out to the verandah with Embry.

"Is there something wrong, Embry?" She didn't feel like making any more small talk and believed in getting straight to the point. During dinner, she noticed he didn't seem comfortable with the conversation when her dad suggested the blood sample.

"No, of course not. Dinner was great. I really enjoyed spending time with you and your family." He didn't sound nervous exactly, but he obviously knew what she was referring to.

"I'll be more specific. Dad suggested you could give me a sample of your blood to help identify a cure for Hugo. You were obviously uncomfortable and immediately changed the subject. I don't get it. Don't you care about me? Don't you want to help Hugo?"

Embry couldn't stand it when she spoke to him like that. Of course, he cared about her! He loved her since he first saw her! Hugo was a good kid, and he would like to help. But Sam had already forbidden him to get involved in any of her research or assist her in anyway. Hermione didn't understand all the pack dynamics, and unfortunately, he had been forbidden to explain it to her.

That didn't stop him from trying, though. "Of course I care about you. Ever since I imprinted on you, there's no one more important to me. I can tell how much you love Hugo; I wish I could help you. I really, really do. But I can't help you. I can't even tell you anything – I physically can't," he tried to explain further, but the words would not form. He could not disobey a command from the Alpha.

She seemed to understand his meaning of not being able to actually _tell_ her anything, but her face looked more alarmed than he expected. "They can control you?" she asked in horror.

He wanted to respond – to explain – but he couldn't.

"Embry look into my eyes. I'm going to look in your mind," she said him, regaining control over her emotions.

Unsure of what would happen, he looked into her mind. Immediately, he felt another presence in his mind, sifting through memories of that afternoon. He saw the argument with Sam and the pack play out in his head. He couldn't see her or anything like that, but as she watched the memories, they replayed right before his eyes. He could just barely feel her emotions while watching the scene.

She was angry. He had never noticed – or cared to notice – how often the pack insulted vampires. It hadn't mattered before. But as he watched Paul and Jared shout hateful invectives towards Hermione – who they did not even know – he felt ashamed. How often had he said similar things?

"_They're LEACHES! PARASITES! They survive by feeding on the blood of other humans – their lives are sustained by taking life! They are natural killers!" Paul shouted angrily._

"_We have a treaty with the Cullens because they don't drink human blood. Neither does Hermione; it should automatically include her," Embry tried to reason._

"_It doesn't change what she is. Didn't you see the way she attacked me? She tried to kill me! Nothing she does will change what she is – a MONSTER!" _

"_She's not a monster. She was just defending herself and her son! She's not like the other bloodsuckers; she –"_

"_She's exactly like the other bloodsuckers. She and all the rest are walking DEAD! And you imprinted on her! It's disgusting."_

He could feel Hermione's rage. What Paul said had truly angered him as well. _"Just shut up! Stop talking about her like that!"_

"_I won't stop talking. She's a vampire – it's pack business! Don't you remember our tribal history? Our existence is due to them. We only became werewolves so we could kill the vampires and protect humans. That is our purpose – to destroy vampires! Not start romantic relationships with them."_

"_Ever since we made the change, vampires are disgusting to us. You can't pretend it doesn't bother you – her drinking blood…what she is. We saw your nightmare – Hermione drinking you to death. You have to admit that it bothers you," It was Jared who spoke this time, but it was obvious everyone agreed. _He could feel her shock and, surprisingly, hurt as well. He felt guilty even though he couldn't control his dreams. He almost winced as he remembered what he said next.

_Embry sighed, already weary of the argument, but he understood their reactions. "Of course it bothers me. How couldn't it? But it doesn't change the way I feel."_

_Finally, Sam spoke, "I understand imprinting is not a choice, Embry. But this is not a normal situation. This isn't even a Cullen. She may not drink from humans – but she is a complete unknown. What we do know is that she is very aggressive, and she is a stronger vampire than any we have ever come across. She is much too dangerous. You are forbidden from telling her anything about us." It wasn't advice; it was a command from the Alpha._

"_What? That's not fair! How are we supposed to get to know each other if I can't tell her anything?"_

"_Her arrival here is very sudden and suspicious. She moved here for a purpose – we do not know what that purpose is." He seemed to pause here for a moment, as if expecting Embry to volunteer that purpose. Embry looked conflicted but ultimately said nothing, and Sam continued, "Because of your…connection…with her, it will be easy for her to take advantage of you. _

"_You're worrying for nothing. Hermione just wanted to move somewhere to live in peace with her son – and to help Hugo. How can I help her if I can't even tell her anything?"_

_Sam was furious. "Help her! What – does she hate that her son is a werewolf and wants to change him?" _Hermione's anger here was almost palpable.

"_What? Of course not," he was really getting tired of being on the defensive._

"_I forbid you from helping her do that." It was the Alpha speaking again._

Suddenly, he was released from the memory.

"Hermione, I know it looks bad, but they just…" he struggled but couldn't form the words and gave up. He looked at her, hoping that she'd gotten over her anger. He didn't have to be home yet and wanted to enjoy as much time in Hermione's presence as possible.

He looked into her eyes and flinched.

Hermione was livid. "It only _looks_ bad? Is that what you think?"

He wished he knew what to say, but he had no clue how to respond. He didn't know how to deal with women – especially angry ones.

"Leech. Parasite. Bloodsucker. You defended me when he called me a monster, but you seemed to agree with all the other lovely descriptions. Apparently, you're so disgusted and terrified by me that you dreamed I drank you to death. You don't need to worry; neither you nor any of the others smell _remotely_ appetizing."

He felt guilty that that information actually _did_ relieve his uneasiness. Logically, he knew she would never do that to him, but how could he explain that? "I don't think that – not really. It was just a dream. It doesn't mean anything."

She raised an eyebrow imperiously, and he could feel just how pathetic his own defense was.

She ignored his reply and continued speaking, "There were some other, nastier accusations there. Apparently, your intellectually-challenged friends want to think that I mistreat Hugo – that I am ashamed of him in some way or that I despise what he is." She raced to a room and back in the blink of an eye, carrying a strange bowl. "Allow me to educate you on what a true werewolf is."

She pulled out her wand, and a strange bowl immediately flew to her hands. She pointed her wand to her temple and lots of silvery wisps were placed into the bowl. He was nervous, but did not object when she grabbed his hand – though he was sure it was not a gesture of affection. She pulled his hand to the bowl, and he automatically looked inside to see swirling mist. He barely had time to form the conclusion that this was some type of magic when he was _pulled into the bowl_.

It was an incredibly weird sensation, and he admitted to himself silently that he didn't care for it.

Then he looked at his surroundings. They were near a forest, and in the distance he could see a really huge castle. It must be Hogwarts! Was that strange bowl a sort of transportation device?

As if she could hear his thoughts, she stated, "It's a penseive. It's used to store memories for more objective viewing as well as for clearing the mind of stress or trauma. We are in one of my earlier memories. I was in my third year at Hogwarts." She pointed behind them, and he saw a group of people heading towards the castle.

_Embry recognized some in the group as a younger Hermione, Harry, and Ron. The others were all grown men, one of whom was captured and the other unconscious._

"_One wrong move, Peter," threatened a tall man who was wearing a tie. Embry assumed he must be a teacher. "One wrong move," he repeated, "and I'll let Sirius take care of you." Next to him was Ron whose leg appeared to be broken or injured. It was bandaged and he walked unsteadily._

_Harry was walking along with a homeless man – likely Sirius – who was carrying an unconscious man on his shoulder. A cloud shifted and suddenly they were bathed in moonlight. Sirius froze. He flung an arm out to make Harry and Hermione stop. Embry turned in the same direction to see the teacher was suddenly shaking._

"_Oh, my – " Hermione gasped. "Professor Lupin didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"_

"_Run," whispered a rather dirty-looking man. "Run. Now."_

_But Harry didn't run. Ron had a broken leg and couldn't run. He was chained to Lupin and Peter the captive. The teacher leapt forward, but Sirius caught him around the chest and threw him back._

"_Leave it to me – RUN!"_

_There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. A large orange cat's hair was on end; he was backing away –_

_Embry finally realized what was happening – the man was a werewolf!_

_As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from Harry's side. He had transformed! The enormous, bearlike dog bounded forward. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backward, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other –_

_Embry watched Hermione who suddenly screamed when she saw Peter dive for Lupin's wand. Ron, unsteady on his bandaged leg, fell. There was a bang, a burst of light – and Ron lay motionless on the ground. Another bang – the orange cat flew into the air and back to the earth in a heap._

"_Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled, pointing his own wand at Peter; Lupin's wand flew high into the air and out of sight. "Stay where you are!" Harry shouted, running forward._

_Too late. The man transformed into what appeared to be a rat and slipped through the cuff chaining him to Ron. Embry could hear him scurrying through the grass and knew there was no way they could capture him now._

_There was a howl and a rumbling growl; Embry turned to see the werewolf taking flight; it was galloping into the forest. As Harry explained what happened to Sirius, the real Hermione began speaking._

"That is what a true werewolf is – a victim forced to undergo a painful transformation every month. The victim becomes a rabid, blood-thirsty monster. It's a curse – _not _an ability. For all that it was a horrifying scene, Remus Lupin was a good professor. He had a moment of carelessness. He forgot to take the wolfsbane potion which at least allows for him to retain control of his own mind. Remus was bitten as a child, barely 6 years old, by a werewolf named Fenrir Greyback who purposely placed himself near on the night of the full moon.

"Werewolves face a lot of prejudice in magical society. I would be lying if I told you it's only because of monsters like Fenrir Greyback. People are naturally prejudiced against anything that is different from their perception of normal," she explained, with an accusatory gaze directed at him.

The scene around them disappeared only to be replaced with something else now.

"I'll show you what I mean."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Some people have commented that they think Hermione would form a strongest friendship with Rosalie, since they've both been raped. But just like Rosalie doesn't go around telling other people what happened to her, neither does Hermione. They can't bond over something they don't know about each other. Still, it does not mean that they will not be friends.**

**Having said that, can you guess who she will be forming a close bond with? I might have made it a little obvious.**

**Does anybody else think Embry blew it? Do you think Hermione is overreacting?**

_*Transformation scene from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, with a slight few changes_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_Ron and Hermione were crossing the grass._

"_What's happening?" Ron asked Harry. "Why aren't you playing? And what's _Malfoy_doing here?" He was looking at a blond-haired boy, who was looking rather smug. They were obviously on different teams as they were wearing different colored robes. Embry thought the Malfoy boy looked like a real brat._

"_I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Malfoy, smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team."_

_Ron gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven (rather cool-looking, Embry thought) broomsticks in front of him._

"_Good, aren't they?" said Malfoy smoothly. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them." The Slytherin team howled with laughter._

"_At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to _buy_their way in," said Hermione sharply. "_They_got in on pure talent."_

_The smug look on Malfoy's face flickered. "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat. _

_Embry knew at once that Malfoy had something really bad because there was an instant uproar at his words. One of the older players had to dive in front of Malfoy to stop two red-haired boys from jumping on him. A girl shrieked, "How dare you!" And Ron pulled his wand out, shouting that Malfoy was going to pay. The memory phased out back to the empty white room._

"I was a little confused when he called me that," explained Hermione. "I understood immediately that it was insulting, but I didn't even know how I was being insulted. Prejudice against first-generation magic users was something I had heard about, but I never suspected it was so bad they created a special word. _Mudblood._ It speaks for itself. _Dirty blood. _That was the first time I heard the word, but certainly not the last. That same year, there was a series of attacks meant to kill students like me. I was one of the last of several victims, but we were lucky. We were in a coma-like state and were able to be restored.

"Once the war began during my sixth year at Hogwarts, things got a whole lot worse for muggle-borns, especially once the Death Eaters took control of the Ministry. They created a registration committee, which was responsible for capturing, interrogating, imprisoning, and killing many muggle-borns. The worst punishment was to give a prisoner the Dementor's Kiss, a horrible name for allowing the most despicable of creatures to suck out your soul. The victim's body remains alive, but merely a shell without any consciousness."

The white room disappeared.

_A man was screaming. "No, Madam Umbridge, please no, I'm a half-blood, I'm a half-blood, I tell you! My father was a wizard, he _was,_ look him up, Arkie Alderton, he's a well-known broomstick designer, look him up, I tell you – get your hands off me, get your hands off–"_

"_This is your final warning," said the mean-looking Umbridge woman, her voice magnified so that it sounded clearly over the man's desperate screams. "If you struggle, you will be subjected to the Dementor's Kiss."_

_The man's screams subsided, but dry sobs echoed through the hallway._

"_Take him away," said Umbridge. Two vicious-looking craetures with rotting, scabbed hands grabbed the wizard and carried him away. Embry felt so helpless watching the desperate man. His behavior showed that he knew very well that things were only going to get worse for him._

"_Next – Mary Cattermole," called Umbridge._

_A small woman stood up; she was trembling from head to foot. Her dark hair was smoothed back into a bun and she wore long, plain robes. Her face was completely bloodless. She shuddered as she passed the dark creatures._

"_Sit down," commanded Umbridge in a soft, silky voice._

_Mary stumbled to the single seat in the middle of the floor beneath the raised platform. The moment she had sat down, chains clinked out of the arms of the chair and bound her there._

"_You are Mary Elizabeth Cattermole?" asked Umbridge._

_Mary gave a single, shaky nod._

"_Married to Reginald Cattermole of the Magical Maintenance Department?"_

_The woman burst into tears. "I don't know where he is, he was supposed to meet me here!"_

_Umbridge ignored her. "Mother to Maisie, ellie, and Alfred Cattermole?"_

_Mary sobbed harder than ever. "They're frightened, they think I might not come home– "_

"_Spare us," spat Yaxley. "The brats of Mudbdloods do not stir our sympathies."_

_Embry wants to phase and rip the guy's head off! And then attack Umbridge._

_He watched at the evil woman continued questioning Mary Cattermole, even accused her of not being a real witch. It was obvious this was a mock trial; the verdict had been decided before Mary had ever been brought to the hearing._

_Suddenly, the quiet woman next to Umbridge spoke, "That's – that's pretty, Dolores," she said, pointing at the pendant gleaming in the ruffled folds of Umbridge's blouse._

"_What?" snapped Umbridge, glancing down. "Oh yes – an old family heirloom," she said, patting the locket lying on her large bosom. "The _S_ stands for Selwyn…I am related to the Selwyns…Indeed, there are few pure-blood families to whom I am not related…A pity," she continued in a louder voice, flicking through Mary's quesitonaire, "that the same cannot be said for you. '_Parents' professions: greengrocers.'"

_The man next to her laughed jeeringly._

_Suddenly, a red spell shot over to Umbridge, knocking her unconscious. Embry turned to see the source, a disembodied hand and wand pointed to the man next and he was out in a flash._

"_Harry!"_

"_Hermione, if you think I was going to sit here and let her pretend –"_

"_Harry, Mrs. Cattermole!"_

_Embry finally caught on and realized that somehow Harry and Hermione head been disguised._

_Suddenly, where only the arm had been was a man. He shot off a spell, "EXPECTO PATROMUM!" creating a silver stag which leapt towards the dark creatures, chasing them back into the shadows._

_From there, Embry watched as Harry and Hermione and even Ron freed the captives. They were all told to leave the country and get as far away from the Ministry as possible._

As the scene faded away, all Embry could think about was how this was a modern-day Holocaust. If Hermione had not been on the run, she could have been one of the unfortunate victims that weren't lucky enough to be rescued.

"One more," she said softly.

_They were in a tent: Hermione, Harry, and Ron._

_Embry was startled to see Hermione suddenly turn her wand on Harry. There was a bang, a flash of white light, and his face became so swollen and ugly that he didn't look like Harry any more._

_Suddenly some thugs entered the tent and grabbed at them, wrestling their wands away. "Get up, vermin." They were quickly dragged outside, their wands taken away. _

_A big, filthy man grabbed Hermione. "Get – off – her!" Ron shouted. He was punched in the face; there was a distinct cracking sound and Embry knew his nose was broken._

_Hermione screamed. "No! Leave him alone, leave him alone!"_

"_Your boyfriend's going to have worse than that done to him if he's on my list," said the horrible, rasping voice that belonging to the hairy man. "Delicious girl…What a treat…I do so enjoy the softness of the skin…"_

"_That's Fenrir Greyback," present-Hermione told him. Embry could feel his stomach churning. He had a horrible feeling he knew what was coming up next, but he could not look away._

_He watched as they tried to lie about their names and realized that Hermione had been trying to disguise Harry – she really was brilliant. He didn't know how she could think clearly in the midst of such extreme danger._

_They were interrogated, and Embry watched as they lied clumsily._

"'_ermione Granger,"" Scabior read from the newspaper, "'the mudblood who is known to be travelling with 'arry Potter.'"_

"_You know what, little girly? This picture looks a hell of a lot like you."_

"_It isn't! it isn't me!" But Hermione's terrified squeak was as good as a confession._

_Greyback put the clues together, and they were taken to some place called Malfoy Manor. Recognizing the name, Embry wondered if the place belonged to the blonde brat from the other memory._

_His suspicion was confirmed when the boy was brought to identify them. He was obviously in over his head, associating with these people. He was reluctant to confirm their identities, but it became obvious to everyone._

_Suddenly, the crazy (Embry was positive she was insane) black-haired woman began shrieking and attacking some of the others. She seemed to be scared of the sword for some reason and ordered the prisoners into the dungeon. Embry was almost relieved that Hermione would be put in some sort of cell – it would be better than being in Greyback's hands._

"_This is my house, Bellatrix, you don't give orders in my–"_

_But Bellatrix screamed and screamed about some great danger until finally the Malfoy woman agreed. "Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback."_

"_Wait," said Bellatrix sharply. "All except…except for the Mudblood."_

_Greyback gave a grunt of pleasure._

"_No!" shouted Ron. "You can have me, keep me!"_

_Bellatrix hit him across the face; the blow echoed around the room. "If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," she said. "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs, greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them – yet."_

_She threw Greyback's wand back to him, then took a short silver knife from under her robes. She cut Hermione free from the other prisoners, then dragged her by the hair into the middle of the room, while Greyback forced the rest of them to shuffle across to another door, into a dark passageway._

_Embry wondered what the crazy witch was going to ask her. Was it about the sword?_

_But she didn't ask anything. She merely pointed her wand at Hermione and, with a sadistic smile on her face, said, "Crucio."_

_Hermione's body began flailing as she screamed a terrible, drawn-out scream. Her face showed she was in agonizing pain, and tears were leaking from her eyes._

_Embry ran towards the evil witch but went right through her. It was a memory. This already happened. He wasn't there to protect her._

_Bellatrix let go of the curse and said, "Where did you get the sword, Mudblood? Have you been stealing?"_

_Hermione shook her head, crying softly. "We just found it…I swear."_

"_Crucio!"_

_Hermione screamed and screamed. It was agonizing to watch._

"_Mudbloods are filthy liars! I can't trust anything your kind says. I _know _you're lying! I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword? _Where?"

"_We found it – we found it – PLEASE!" Hermione screamed again as Bellatrix cursed her again._

"_You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell me the truth! _Tell me the truth!"

_Embry watched helpless as Hermione was tortured again and again._

"_What else idd you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!" And to demonstrate it was no empty threat, she sliced her knife across Hermione's neck._

"_What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"_

_Hermione's screams reverberated off the walls. "We've never been in your vault. We just–"_

"_How did you get into my vault?" Bellatrix screamed. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"_

"_We only met him tonight!" Hermione sobbed. "We've never been inside your vault…It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!_

"_A copy?" screeched Bellatric. "Oh, a likely story!"_

"_But we can find out easily!" said Lucius. "Draco, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"_

_They brought a strange looking creature Embry assumed was the goblin. After inspecting the sword, he declared that it was a fake. He thought this horrible memory was finally coming to a close. Instead, Bellatrix decided to summon the Dark Lord. She pushed back her sleeve and touched her finger to a nasty tattoo of a skull with a snake in its mouth._

"_And I think," said Bellatrix, "we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her."_

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" shouted Embry. He looked around wildly, hoping to see her get rescued now, even if was at the last minute._

_But no rescue came, and Embry watched horrified as Greyback licked his lips and grabbed Hermione. He took her out the gates. He pushed her to the ground, right there on the grass. He nails were long and curved and filthy; he used to rip off her shirt, leaving bloody scratch marks right down her chest._

"_Such soft skin, delicious" said the filthy beast as he licked the blood off his nails._

_Hermione screamed and scratched and bucked against him. She tried to kick out, but the main was large and heavy. Embry closed his eyes as he couldn't watch any longer. He finally had the answer to the question he had been wondering since he met her; this was how Hugo was a werewolf._

"_Open your eyes!" shouted the real Hermione, a furious expression on her face. "You watch everything. You don't get to close your eyes."_

_Behind her furious expression, there was obvious pain, and he turned back to watch the most horrifying thing he had ever seen. Hermione shouted, her voice hoarse. She fought and fought, but it was all useless. Greyback – that monster – was enjoying himself and didn't seem even slightly bothered by her efforts. He delighted in her struggle, in her pain. And Embry saw all of it. There was so much blood._

_Even inside her memory, Embry knew he couldn't imagine how agonizing it must have been for Hermione. It was painful just to _watch.

_At one point, the filthy beast was so excited he hit her too hard in the face, and she went unconscious. But that didn't affect his enjoyment. He continued raping her._

_And Embry continued watching until, finally, Greyback was spent. He picked up her body like it was a ragdoll and tossed her over his shoulder. Suddenly, Hermione's still body jerked up. She bit down hard on his ear and her hand went to his pocket and she snatched his wand before he could get to it._

_He screamed and grabbed her hand, trying to get his wand back. She jerked her head to the side and ripped his ear right off._

_Blood gushed down Greyback's face and he screamed in pain, both hands going to where his ear used to be. She turned on the spot and disappeared with a loud crack and immediately stood in front of a dark house._

At last, the memory faded away.

Back in the white room, Embry turned towards Hermione. He blinked to clear his gaze and realized he'd been crying.

He had no words that he could say to her. He just wanted to wrap her in his arms and tried. But she pushed him away, surprisingly gently.

"Do you understand now, Embry? This is what prejudice does. This is what irrational hatred does." She didn't say any more, but he knew what she wasn't saying. Her face was calm, but her eyes were accusing.

And he felt all the weight of that accusation. Here he was, hating vampires – despising them. They always spoke of them as abominations, things that should not be allowed to live. And here in front of him was someone who had lived for so long on the other side of that hatred – always, always being hated for something she could not control. Just because.

He chocked, trying to express everything he felt but could only say, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. But I love–"

"Rubbish. You think you love me. But love – like anything else – is valuable only because it is a choice. You can _choose _to love me. You can make that choice. But you didn't –"

He tried to protest that it wasn't a choice, but the words wouldn't form. Again, Sam's command did not allow him to reveal anything.

"I see you disagree. But you're wrong. Love isn't just affection or a spark or a connection. It's more. It's a commitment. It's a choice you make to continue to love someone even when they do things that you do not like or agree with. You feel affection for me – a really strong connection because of the imprint. And even when you explained the imprint to me that night, you spoke of soulmates. I don't believe in soulmates; I don't believe in fate. I believe that everyone has a choice. Do you understand what I'm saying? You didn't choose to love me. And so you couldn't. Even in spite of your intense attraction, you feared me. Your dream…well it speaks for itself."

"It's not like that. I love you! I do! Of course I love –"

"Oh honestly! Don't you listen?" she asked, exasperated. "I told you that I'd give you a chance. I didn't promise anything. I explained very clearly that Hugo is my priority. I have to do what's best for him."

"But I like Hugo! He's a great kid."

"Even if I thought you could accept us, it wouldn't matter. You're not your own man – you've shown that tonight. You couldn't even answer a few simple questions because your leader used some sort of mind-controlling technique on you. So how could I trust you?"

"It's –" but the words cut off as Embry realized he couldn't tell her _anything_ about the pack. It really was unfair of Sam, but it wasn't mind-control.

"You were going to say that it's not really mind-control. Perhaps not. But it still sounds similar to one of the Unforgiveable Curses. Your friends are aggressive, judgmental, and full of hatred for me. They have a lot of power over you, especially Sam. And that hatred isn't something I'll allow anywhere near my son." The coldness in her voice had long disappeared; it was like that first night again. She was trying to let him down gently, but this time he had the feeling it was permanent.

Before he could think about what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him. There were so many thoughts running around in his head. It was such a long night – and certainly not the success he had planned. He remembered thinking he would win over her parents, demonstrate how good he was with Hugo and sneak a couple kisses.

Instead he found out that his soulmate had fought in a war. She was tortured and brutally raped. And then she gave birth to a werewolf. Since meeting Hermione he'd wondered why fate chose a vampire for him. But maybe, fate chose him for Hermione.

Feeling Hermione trying to gently push him away, he held on tighter. She needed him, he just knew it.

But she pushed him away again, forceful enough to push him back several steps. "We've said everything we needed to say. It's time for you to leave." And she went inside, leaving him out there alone.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know some of you will be disappointed by the quick dissolution of their relationship. But the story's not over!**

**Coming up soon: Hugo's transformation. Any requests as to who will be there?**

**So how are you guys feeling about Embry?**

**Does anybody know _why_ Hermione apparated to Grimmauld Place instead of The Burrow (after the scene with Greyback)?**

_*Quidditch scene from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with slight changes_

_*Umbridge scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with slight changes_

_*Malfoy Manor scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with several changes_


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